The invention relates to chemical and biological reactions and, in particular, to a process for making a variety of reactions more productive in either a continuous or a batch mode.
The process is in the field of fluidized bed technology wherein a solid particulate (whether inert or reactive) is fluidized or entrained in a liquid stream. Examples of liquid fluidized beds can be found in the literature. For example, see a review by Allen, et. al., Annals New York Acadamy of Science Biochemical Engineering, Volume 326, pgs. 105-117 (1979). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,016,293 and 4,016,044 disclose liquid fluidization processes for enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Typically, an enzyme is immobilized on a particle carrier and packed into a reactor. A liquid containing reactants is then used to fluidize the carriers and bring the reactants into contact with the enzyme. The products are removed with the liquid out the top of the reactor while the carriers remain in the bed for continued use. Reaction rates are typically slow in the process and separation of the products from the liquid may be troublesome.
In addition to the background art in liquid fluidization, there is a considerable amount of literature in the area of gas fluidization. In particular, the assignee of the present application owns U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,545 which discloses the use of a dense fluidized bed and an overlapping expanded, entrained bed. However, the liquid fluidized beds present very different problems requiring different solutions as will be shown in more detail below.